Minister McGuinty congratulates innovators, announces $1.75M prize winners of urban drone detection trials in Ottawa

Press Release

February 18, 2026 – Ottawa, Ontario – National Defence / Canadian Armed Forces

Today, the Honourable David J. McGuinty, Minister of National Defence, announced the winners of a total of $1.75 million following the 2025 “Counter Uncrewed Aerial Systems (CUAS) Sandbox” demonstration event held in Ottawa from November 24 to 28, 2025.

This event, which is part of the Department of National Defence’s (DND) Innovation for Defence Excellence and Security (IDEaS) program, challenged 19 innovators to develop advanced drone detection technologies for complex urban environments.

After rigorous testing and evaluation by defence science experts, Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) personnel, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), and other defence and security allies, three groundbreaking Canadian innovations were recognized and have earned this year’s “Diamond in the Rough” prizes.

In first place, and the recipient of $1,000,000 is DARIT Technologies (Sherbrooke, Quebec). Tied for second place, and each receiving $375,000 are OBJEXIS (Oakville, Ontario) and Prandtl Dynamics (Toronto, Ontario).

The “Diamond in the Rough” awards highlight ingenuity and technical excellence. These prize-winning solutions demonstrated exceptional capability to detect and track micro and mini drones in real time—addressing a critical security challenge as drones become increasingly accessible and sophisticated.

The Minister also recognized the valuable contributions of all participating innovators, whose creativity and expertise are essential to advancing Canada’s defence and security capabilities through the IDEaS program. More information on the prize winners and all participating innovators can be found on the Counter Uncrewed Aerial Systems (CUAS) Sandbox 2025 (Urban) web page.

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Quotes

"Canada’s defence and security depend on staying ahead in a rapidly changing world. This counter uncrewed aerial systems sandbox exemplifies how innovation drives resilience and operational readiness. Congratulations to DARIT Technologies, Prandtl Dynamics and OBJEXIS for showcasing solutions that will enable the Canadian Armed Forces and Canada’s defence and security partners to better protect Canadians against emerging threats."

The Honourable David J. McGuinty, Minister of National Defence

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Quick facts

• The rapid increase in availability, affordability, complexity, and capabilities of drone systems is creating growing security risks for Canada and its partners. The IDEaS program’s CUAS sandbox event responds to an urgent need to keep pace with advances in drone technology and tactics.

• Operating in an urban environment has always been part of the broader CUAS challenge. In 2025, for the first time, the IDEaS program’s CUAS Sandbox moved out of its usual remote location in Suffield, Alberta, to test technologies in a realistic urban setting.

• The CUAS Sandbox is focused on defending against drones and is one of several initiatives funded by the IDEaS program designed to accelerate defence and security concepts and strengthen Canada’s defence innovation ecosystem.

• The next CUAS Sandbox event will take place in Suffield, Alberta from September 14 to October 9, 2026.